Whether it be a household, workplace, educational facility or any other location where people tend to gather, preventing the spread of germs is a difficult but yet desirable task. For instance, it is well documented that many hours of productive work are lost due to individuals becoming infected with the common cold or influenza virus. In addition, many dollars are spent annually on medicines to temper the ailments associated with the common cold and influenza. To prevent or slow the spread of germs within these previously noted areas, antimicrobial sprays, liquid cleaning products, and soaps exist for general sanitization and disinfection. Sprays are typically used to clean in and around sinks, bath tubs, showers and toilets. Liquid hard surface cleaners with antimicrobial components are now available for cleaning floors, countertops and other hard surfaces. In addition, a variety of antimicrobial soaps can be purchased for skin and body cleansing.
When one suffers from the common cold or influenza virus, one's mucus is the source of a very high concentration of viruses. After the mucus is blown into a facial tissue, the virus within the mucus has the potential to infect other individuals coming into contact with it. Transfer of this mucus on the tissue to another individual will likely be through accidental or unintentional contact.
As an example of a possible transfer scenario, consider a cold sufferer who accidentally leaves a mucus infected facial tissue on a hard surface of some type. This hard surface might be a kitchen countertop, a bathroom vanity surface, an office desk or some other piece of furniture. Another family member or colleague may accidentally come into contact with the infected mucus after picking up the tissue to throw it away. After coming into such contact with the mucus on the tissue, it is very possible for that individual to become infected with the viral condition (i.e., common cold, influenza) especially if the infected mucus comes into contact with that individual's mucosal membranes.
Another transmission scenario is through the disposal of the facial tissues contaminated with the virus containing mucus. After a household waste basket becomes filled with trash containing a high concentration of infected tissues, it obviously needs to be disposed of in some manner. During this transfer of the household trash into another larger disposal unit, the individual transferring the trash may come into contact with the contaminated tissue. Once again, this individual is at a higher risk for contracting the virus.
Many other potential modes of virus transmission are possible after the facial tissue has become infected with the mucus. To reduce the probability of cold and influenza transmission, the tissue coated with the antiviral anhydrous lotion described herein will kill some strains of both rhinovirus and influenza. By killing these viruses within the tissue, there is intervention in transmission of these viruses that cause the common cold and influenza.
Kimberly-Clark's AVERT facial tissue product of several years back purported to contain effective germ killers, but the anionic surfactant in the germ killing vehicle was likely too irritating to the skin. As is well known, cold and influenza sufferers typically have sore and irritated skin regions associated with the nose and lips. After blowing the aqueous mucus into the tissue, the anionic surfactant becomes easily dissolved and partially transferred to the irritated skin regions. These sensitive skin regions are more prone to irritation by anionic surfactants.
As noted, the irritation, inflammation and redness around the nose and lips can have several causes. A prime one is, of course, the sheer necessity of frequently blowing one's nose into the tissue, and wiping the resultant nasal discharge from the nose and surrounding area. The degree of irritation and inflammation caused by such blowing and wiping is directly proportional to: (1) the surface roughness of the tissue used; (2) the number of times the nose and its surrounding areas are in contact with the tissue; and (3) the irritation potential of any additives applied to the tissue paper. It is thus imperative to use ingredients within the antiviral lotion that are as mild as possible. In fact, it is more desirable to use ingredients that might provide a skin benefit.
In addition to the adverse skin reactions in AVERT, there was very little probability for dry transfer of the antiviral formulations to the skin. This was partly due to the addition of the AVERT antiviral composition to a third ply of tissue which was then sandwiched between two outside plies. In addition, the AVERT antiviral composition was made up of crystalline solids. Thus, after pulling out a tissue from the dispensing box, the probability of transferring the antiviral components to the fingers was low. Whereas, in the present invention if the lotion is applied to the outside plies of the tissue, the lotion can be readily transferred either to the skin or to inanimate objects by simply applying pressure between the lotioned tissue and the object being touched. Thus, the probability for skin or inanimate surface transfer is high, making it possible to kill viruses on animate and inanimate objects. The lotion of this invention may also be applied between the tissue plies.
In addition the present invention may also be applied to toilet tissue. Cleansing the skin in the perineal regions is a personal hygiene problem not always easily solved. Of course, the common procedure of washing the skin with soap and water works well, but at times these may either be unavailable or inconvenient to use. While soap and water could be used to clean the perianal region after defecation for example, such a procedure would be extremely burdensome.
The perianal skin is marked by the presence of fine folds and wrinkles (sulci) and by hair follicles, both of which make the perianal region one of the more difficult anatomical areas to cleanse. During defecation, fecal matter is excreted through the anus and tends to accumulate in hard to reach locations such as around the base of hairs and in the sulci of the skin's surface. As the fecal matter dehydrates upon exposure to the air, or upon contact with an absorbent cleansing implement such as tissue paper, it adheres more tenaciously to the skin and hair, thus making subsequent removal of the remaining dehydrated soil even more difficult.
Failure to remove fecal matter from the anal area can have a deleterious effect on personal hygiene. The fecal matter remaining on the skin after post-defecation cleansing has a high bacterial and viral content. It is malaodorous and generally dehydrated. These characteristics increase the likelihood of perianal disorders and cause personal discomfort (e.g., itiching, irritation, chafing, etc.) Further, the residual fecal matter stains undergarments and causes unpleasant odors to emanate from the anal region. Thus, the consequences of inadequate perianal cleansing are clearly unattractive.
For those individuals suffering from anal disorders such as pruritis ani, hemorrhoids, fissures, cryptitis, or the like, the importance of adequate perianal cleansing takes on heightened significance. Perianal disorders are usually characeterized by opening in the skin through which the bacteria and viruses in the residual fecal matter can readily enter. Those people afflicted with anal disorders must, therefore, achieve a high degree of perianal cleansing after defecation or risk the likely result that their disorder will be aggravated by the bacteria and viruses remaining on the skin.
At the same time that anal disorder sufferers face more severe consequences from insufficient post defecation cleaning, they also have greater difficulty in achieving a satisfactory level of soil removal. Anal disorders generally render the perianal region extremely sensitive and attempts to remove fecal matter from this region by wiping with normal wiping pressure can cause pain and further irritate the skin. Attempts to improve soil removal by increasing the wiping pressure can result in intense pain. Conversely, attempts to minimize discomfort by reducing the wiping pressure result in an increased amount of residual fecal matter left on the skin.
Conventional toilet tissue products used for anal cleaning are essentially dry, high density tissue papers that rely exclusively on mechanical processes to remove fecal matter from the perianal skin. These conventional products are rubbed against the perianal skin, typically with a pressure of about 1 psi (7 kilopascals) and basically scrape or abrade the fecal matter from the skin. After the first few wipes, the upper portion of the soil layer is removed because the wiping process is able to overcome the soil-soil cohesive forces that exist within the fecal matter. A cleavage is thereby created in the soil layer itself with the upper portion of the fecal layer being removed and the lower portion of the soil remaining adhered to the perianal skin.
Conventional tissue products are absorbent and with each successive wipe the fecal matter becomes increasingly dehydrated, thus causing it to adhere more tenaciously to the perianal skin and hair and making its removal difficult in the extreme. Pressing the tissue forcefully against the perianal skin will remove more of the fecal matter but is intensely painful for people suffering from anal disorders and can excoriate even normal perianal skin, potentially causing irritation, inflammation, pain, bleeding, itching, and infection.
Hence, the irritation and inflammation potentially caused by the use of tissue products is a common drawback experienced by users of both toilet tissue and facial tissue.
It is thought that the present invention may also be useful in reducing the incidence of recurrent urinary tract infections, a problem which tends to plague women more commonly than men.
As the lotions of this invention are substantially anhydrous, they will not evaporate upon contact with the skin surface. Thus, in comparison to non-anhydrous lotions, the substantially anhydrous lotions of this invention provide more oppportunity for the lotion to be retained on the skin thereby providing a more lasting benefit to the skin surface.
Additionally, subsequent cleanings using the tissue paper of this invention tend to be more efficient. For instance, with toilet tissue, during the first use of the tissue, lotion is transferred from the tissue to the skin and hair in the perianal area. A lubricious layer, which includes surface tension-reducing surfactants, is created on the skin. Fecal matter which is subsequently deposited in this area, is more easily removed as a result of the lubricious layer. Hence, cleaning this area tends to become easier.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide lotioned tissue products that: (1) kill deleterious viruses within the tissue such as rhinovirus and influenza viruses; (2) that kill deleterious bacteria in the tissue such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus Saprophyticus (3) that contain antibacterial and antiviral components which can reduce the risk of bacterial and viral related perineal disorders; (4) contain antibacterial components which can reduce the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections (5) contain an antiviral and antibacterial anhydrous lotion that can be transferred to the skin or inanimate objects for possible kill of deleterious bacteria and viruses coming into contact with the lotioned skin or inanimate regions; (6) do not adversely affect the tensile strength, absorbency and caliper of the product; (7) are mild to the skin; (8) possess a soft and lubricious feel; (9) provide skin benefits associated with alpha and beta hydroxy acids; (10) contain an anhydrous lotion which limits lotion diffusion and aids in the maintenance of such physical properties as tensile and caliper; (11) optionally contain a natural oil such as eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, camphor, lemon oil, methyl salicylate, garlic oil and mixtures thereof; and (12) do not require special wrapping or barrier materials for packaging.